Apparatus for heating



Sept. 20, 1932. J, Q JAMES 1,877,764

APPARATUS FOR HEATING Filed Feb. 7. 1929 Yfiiiness Inveniar Patented Sept. 20, 1932 PATENT OFFICE JOHN 0.. JAMES, .015 OMERVILI E, MASSACHUSETTS APPARATUS FOR HEATING Application filed February 7, 1929. Serial No. 338,257.

The present invention relates to an apparatus forheating, andmore especially to an apparatus particularly adaptedfor use with a system where steam is employed as the heating medium and the water of condensation is allowed to run to waste.

A common method of heating buildings in many communities, especially: in large cities, is by means of a central heatingplant or a power plant in which steam is generated and from which: plant the live or exhaust steam isconducted under ground for a substantial distance, connections being made at intervals to the buildings "alongathe liner Commonly with these central heating systems, as theyare called, it is more economical to discharge the water of condensation into the sewer than toattempt' to collect itand return itto the boilersof the heating or power plant.

In most, if not practically all municipalities, the discharge of water above a given temperature into the public sewer is I prohibited, and in order to maintain a sufficiently low temperature of thiswater,

special apparatus for absorbing the excess heatlis commonly required throughwhich the condensatepasses on its way to the sewer. Owing to the variations in the amount and thetemperature of the condensate when it comes to this apparatus, due to the varying demands for heat, it is impossible torely upon such apparatus for regular heating so that such heat absorbingapparatus has no useful function save to insure a suiiiciently reduced temperature of the condensate to permit its discharge into the public sewer.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for heating buildings and the like which, while useful in other sys- 116111S'.EtIlCl arrangements, is particularly adaptpurposes the heat thus abstracted.

paratus or radiator with the lower part,

broken away,Fig. 2 is a detail on an enlarged scale showing the thermostatic valve and its connections, and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section 011 line 3 of Fig. 1.

The radiator illustrated in Fig. 1, comprises two sections, the upper or steam sec? tion 5 being of a well known type, embodying the pipe or conduit 7 for the steam and folded or pleated plates 9 secured together and welded to the steam pipe forming enclosed vertical air passages and IitEIldGCl heating surface bothon the exterior and the interior thereof. Beneath this upper or steam section is' the lower or hot water sectionll which also comprises aconduit 13 for the water with similar extended surface 15 upon it.

A connection is provided between the two sections comprising a vertical section of pipe 17 betweenthe top of which and the lower section of the steam pipe 7 is located a thermostatic valve 19. This valve, which is of a common type, comprises a casing 21 having provisionfor connection at one side to the steam pipe 7 and at the bottom to the vertical pipe 17 and is formed with a cylindrical chamber 23 at the bottom of which is the discharge opening 25 for the water of condensation. A valve 27 is adapted toopen and close this opening in response to the temperature within the chamber, the actuating means for the valve comprising the usual hollow disks 29 filled with ether or other suitable fluid, and supported by means of the stem 31 from the cover plate 33.

particularly defined in the B iture rises.

This valve is of the common type and opens when the water collects in the chamber and the temperature falls, and closes when live steam enters the chamber and the tempera- Thus the condensate is permitted "to escape from this upper or steam section of the radiator, yet the passage of live steam through the valve is prevented.

In order to insure the abstraction of sufficient heat from this water of condensation, so

'that its temperature will be reduced to the desired temperature to permit its discharge into the sewer, the lower or hot water section 11 of the radiator is not only provided with 15 the extended heating surface 15,.but also is constructed to retain such water for a considerable period of time so as to allow the transfer of the necessary amount of heat to the pipe and extended surface; This is accomplished in the construction shown in the drawing by means of an upwardly off-set discharge connection 35 which traps or dams the water of condensation in the pipe of the hot water section. As fresh condensate en- 5 ters at the inlet end of this heating section,

a corresponding amount of water escapes at the outlet end. During its passage through this section of the radiator, which will necessarily be at low velocity inasmuch as it is dependent upon the supply of condensate, the

water gives up its heat to the pipe and extended surface, which in turn give up heat to the surrounding air. By the time the water has reached the outlet it has been reduced to a temperature well below that at which it may enter the sewer and all of the heat abstracted in such reduction of temperature has been supplied at substantially the same point as that from the steam and, therefore, has been usefully employed in heating the building or room.

. Although water in the lower section of the radiator is of much lower temperature than the steam in the upper section, nevertheless,- owing to the fact that such lower section is exposed to coldest air, there is a sufficient difference of temperature between this lower section and the air so that good heat transerence results. The temperature of the steam section also is so much higher than the air that comes to it from the lower section that the upper section operates efficiently in the transfer of heat.

The operation of the radiator herein shown and described has been indicated generally in fast as it comes to the valve. While it is preferred to have the valve so operated it is not essential, since the valve may open and close intermittently to permit the escape of the water of condensation in separated amounts. As fast as the hot condensate is supplied to the water pipe at the inlet end the cooled water is discharged in equal amounts from the outlet end and at the desired temperature.

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, a single section or length of water pipe and extended surface are shown, but it is obvious that more or less might be usedaccording to the conditions, such, for example as the temperature of the steam supply, the desired temperature of the discharge, etc. In the radiator of the drawing the exposed or radiating surface of the hot water section will be in the neighborhood of onethird that of the steam section, but it is to be understood that other and difierent ratios may be employed, depending upon the space available, the cost of construction, the required temperature of the discharge, etc.

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention theextended surface of the lower or hot water section is separated from that of'the upper or steam section, and While this is the preferred construction since it prevents the direct transfer of heat from one section to the other, nevertheless the present invention is not necessarily limited to this feature except where so specified in the claims.

The present invention has been shown and described as embodying a well known type of construction of radiator, but it may be equally embodied in other and different types of construction, and if desired, existing radiators maybe changed over by the addition of the necessary parts to embody the present invention.

Nor is the present invention limited to the specific arrangement and construction shown and described, but may be embodied in other and different constructions within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. Heat exchange apparatus comprising a steam pipe, a. hot water pipe arranged below the level of the steam pipe to receive the water of condensation therefrom, a thermostatic valve located between the steam pipe and the hot water pipe, and an upwardly off-set outlet for the water pipe to maintain said pipe at all times filled with water of condensation, whereby heat will be abstracted from the water and the temperature of the discharge reduced. r

2. A heat exchange apparatus comprising a steam pipe arranged in a plurality of substantially horizontal serially connected sections disposed one below the other in sub-.

stantially the same vertical plane, a single section of substantially horizontal water pipe beneath the lowermost steam pipe, connections including a, thermostatic valve between the lowermost steam Valve and the water pipe the steam pipe being provided with continuous extended surface from the lowermost section to the topmost section, and the water pipe being provided with extended surface independent of and disconnected from the extended surface on the steam pipe.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN 0. JAMES. 

